Work stop or positioning means for forming and bending machines



Feb. 16, 1954 HUMPHREY 2,669,276

WORK STOP 0R POSITIONING MEANS FOR FQRMING AND BENDING MACHINES FiledJan.

INVENTOR.

Patented Feb. 16, 1954 WORK ST OP OR POSITIONING MEANS FOR- FORMING ANDBENDING MACHINES George A. Humphrey, Kalamazoo, Mich., assignor toGeneral Gas Light Company, Kalamazoo,

Mich.

Application January 30, 1950, Serial No. 141,200

This invention relates to improvements in work stop or positioning meansfor forming and bending machines.

The main objects of this invention are:

First, to provide a forming and bending machine with a work stop orpositioning means which enables the successive forming of a plurality ofedge portions of a sheet Without the operator laying down the work andpicking it up again.

Second, to provide a stop or work positioning means for a bending orforming machine of the type comprising an anvil jaw member and acoacting reciprocating jaw member which can be readily applied to orembodied in existing and widely used types of machines.

Third, to provide a stop or work positioning mechanism which can bequickly and easily adjusted for positioning work for forming differentwidths of flanges or other edge conformations on a single piece of work.

Fourth, to provide a work positioning mechanism having these advantageswhich is entirely automatic in its operation permitting the forming offlanges or the like of difierent widths on the edges of the singlesheet.

Fifth, to provide a structure of this character which is entirelyautomatic in its operation after the stops thereof are once set orpositioned.

Objects relating to details and economies of the invention will appearfrom the description to follow. The invention is defined and pointed outin the claims.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a fragmentary rear elevational view of portions of a formingor bending machine embodying my invention, the parts other than the stopor positioning means being mainly shown in conventional form.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary viewvon a line corresponding to thebroken line 22 of Fig. 3. a Fig; 3 is a fragmentary view, parts beingshown in section to illustrate structural details.

Fig-4 is a fragmentary view partially in section corresponding to thatof Fig. 2 showing the jaw members in closed position. x

In the accompanying drawing I haveillustrated only such portions of aforming or bending machine as are deemed necessary to illustrate apractical commercial embodiment of my invention. Referring to thedrawing, I represents a fixed forming jaw member having a lon- 6 Claims.(Cl. 153-21) gitudinally extending V-shaped recess 2 in its face. Thecoacting jaw member 3 has an A- shaped face 4 adapted to coact with theV-shaped face of the jaw member I. The jaw member 3 is carried by areciprocating head 5. It will be understood that the actuation of thehead is controlled by the operator. However, as machines of this typeare in quite extensive commercial use and are known to those skilled inthe art the operating mechanism is not illustrated.

It will be understood that the jaw forming member I is supported uponthe bed of the machine and that the head 5 reciprocates relative to thebed of the machine. A piece of work is indicated at 6 in operativeposition for a forming operation. At the rear of and in parallelrelation to the forming member I, I mount a shaft 1. In the embodimentillustrated the shaft is supported by brackets 3 mounted directly on theanvil member I by means of bolts 9. The shaft I has axially spacedcollars I0 secured thereto to rotate therewith as by means of the keysII. These collars have radial bores I2 internally threaded to receivethe externally threaded stop members I3 which are secured in theiradjusted positions by means of the lock nuts I4.

In the structure illustrated the stops have angular spacing, theadaptation being designed to permit forming operations on all four edgesof a piece of work 5. To hold the shaft in proper position to presentits stops in proper relation to the anvil forming member, I provide aball detent I5 supported in a socket I6 by means of the spring II. Theshaft is provided with a keeper collar I8 having keeper recesses I9 at90 angular spacing and positioned to receive the detent when a pair ofthe stops are properly positioned relative to the forming jaw I.

The corresponding pairs of stops I3 are axially aligned. These stops maybe adjusted radially of the shaft to position the work for formingflanges of the desired width and successively formed flanges may be ofdifferent widths. The shaft is rotated one step on each stroke of thehead 5. In the embodiment illustrated, this is accomplished by providingthe forming member 3 with a rearwardly projecting bracket 20 on which amultiple toothed pawl 2| is pivoted at 22. This pawl coacts with theratchet wheel 23 on the shaft. The teeth on the pawl and on the ratchetwheel are so arranged that the shaft is rotated on the retracting strokeof the movable forming member. The pawl is yieldably supported by thespring biased thrust member 24 disposed in a bore provided therefor inthe arm of the bracket 20. The spring 26 is adjustably supported bymeans of the threaded abutments 27- see Fig. 3.

With the parts thus arranged the corresponding stops aligned axially ofthe shaft are adjusted to position the work as. indicated in; Fig. 2 forforming a flange of the desired width. The operator then positions thwork as indicated at 6 in proper relation to the anvil jaw and in engagement with the stops. the control mechanism for thehead 5,. not illus:trated, and the head is actuated to form the flange asindicated at 28 inFig.4.. The heads is automatically retracted and on the retractingstroke the shaft is rotated to bring another stop or steps intoposition. The work is thenturned by the operator to present anotheredge. This is repeated for each edge to be formed. This can be donewithout laying down the work and picking it up again and it avoids;repeatedhandlins and. minimizesv time.

Applicant i familiar with presses design d to simultaneously performdifferent shaping opera tions on the same pieceatone-strokeof thepress.However, there are many kinds of work. andquam titles of work whichdonot ju fy a press of: that character. The applicant's invention; iswell ada ted for. eccnomicaleommercial production of work. of. thecharacter'indicated.

Applicant has not attempted to illustrate and describe varioumodifications and adaptations which may be desired. for particular workor types of jaws and theiroperative relation as it is believed that thisdisclosure will enable thoseskilled in'the art to embody or adapttheinventicn as may be desired.

Having thus described my invention. what. I claim as. new and desiretosecure by'Letters Patent is:

I. In a bending machine, the combination of an anvil jaw member. areciprocating head member provided with a jaw member coacting with saidanvil jaw member, .a shaft disposed atv the rear of said anvil jawmember withits axis of. rota tion disposed parallel.thereto,.said shafthavin axially spaced collarsrotatable therewith; certain of said collarshaving, 90 angularly spacedil'adial threaded bores therein, work stopsadjustably threaded in said horse. a ratchet Wheel on. said shaft, aspring biasedpawl on said head member coacting with said ratchet wheel.to rotate the shaft one step on each return stroke-ofv the cross head,and. means for retaining said shaft against rotation intermediate therotational, movements imparted thereto by said pawl and ratchet wheel.

2,. In a bending. machine, the combinationeof an anvil jaw member, areciprocating headmember provided with a jaw member coasting with saidanvil jaw member, a shaft disposed at the rearof saidanvil jaw memberwithits axis of rotation disposed parallel thereto, angularly spacedwork stops adjustably mounted on. said shaft, a ratchet wheel on saidshaft, a spring biasedv pawl on said head member coacting with saidratchet wheel to rotate. the shaft one step on eachiieturn stroke ofthecrosshead, and means for retaining said shaftagainst rotationintermediate they re tational movement imparted thereto byv said pawland ratchet wheel.

The operator then. trips.

3. In a machine of the class described, the combination of an anvil jawmember, a reciprocating jaw member coacting therewith, a shaft disposedat the rear of said anvil jaw member with its axis of rotation disposedparallel thereto, sets of axial- 1y spaced work stops on said shaft, thestops of the sets beingangularly spaced andindependent- 'ly adjustableradially of th shaft, corresponding stops of the sets being alignedaxially of the shaft, means for rotating said shaft one step on theretracting stroke of the reciprocating jaw member, and means forretaining said shaft against rotation intermediate the rotationalmovements imparted. thereto bysaid rotating means.

4. In a-machine of the class described, the combination with arelatively fixed forming member anda coacting reciprocating mountingforming member, a stop shaft rotatively mounted at the rearof said fixedforming member in spaced relation thereto, axially spaced work stopmembcrsmounted-on :said shaitin spaced. relationyfor axial.adiustmentrelative toeaoh other andeaoh including a plurality ofangularlyspaced stops, the corresponding stops of thev mem ers b in inalignment. and means for rotating said shaft-step bystepin:timed:re1ation,to thereturnistroke of the: reciprocating forming.member to p sition corresponding stopsin operative relation relative tothe fixedformins member to facilitate the. nositioning of the workthereon.

5..ln. a machine. of. the class described,- the combination ofv arelatively fixed forming memher and. a coasting reciprocatingly mountedforming member, a stop shaft .rot ably mounted at the rear ofsaidrelatively fixed forming momher in s aced parallel relation thereto andwith its axis. in approximately the-plane of theface thereof, angularlyspaced. workv stops mounted on. said shaft for: independent. adjustmentra dially thereof, and means. for rotatin said shaft ste by step intimed relation tothezaotuationof the? reciprocatingforming member. tosuccessively position the stops inoperativerelation. tothe fixed formingmember tofacilitatethe BQSitiQILP ing of the workcthereon.

6. In a. machine of the class described the combination with arelatively fixedsformlngmemher-ands. enacting reciprocating-mountingform ing member, of :a stopmember rotatively mounted at; the rear ofsaid fixed forming. member with its axis of rotation'in spaced parallel;relation thereto, said stop member having a plurality. of angularlyspaced stops and meansufor rotate ing said stop member step by step.intimedrelation to the actuation of the reciprocatin forming member tosuccessively position thestops in operative relation to the fixedformingmemher to facilitate the positioning of. the. work thereon;

GEQRGE .A.. HUMPHREY;

References. Gited m the file of this patent. UNITED STATES PATENTSNumber Name Date 311,589 Kriete Feb. 3, 1885 1,737,131 Tompkins Nov. 26,1929 2,208,061 Wargner July 16, 1940. 2,365,196 Hcnegger Dec. 19, 194.42,510,768 Williamson June 6, 19 0

